Water and Protein for MMA

10/9/12:

If you are like most athletes, you are not taking in enough water, nor are you likely to be taking in enough protein. Look at the amount of protein that you’re eating in grams per d…ay. An MMA athlete should be eating more than 2 grams per pound of bodyweight.

Now mix in the fact that you should be drinking 1 gallon of water per 100 g of protein per day. These fundamental principles have been established for athletes and national organizations for nearly 4 decades.

Protein Per-Day Examples:

250-pound athlete-off season = 500 g of protein + 2-5-gallons of water per day

140-pound athlete-off season = 280 g of protein + 1.5 gallons of water per day

A maximum of two gallons of water per day is usually sufficient to flush out the proteins in any size athlete. The amount of water that you take in is necessary to maintain a high metabolic flush of the protein as you are consuming. The lack of water in your diet will result in excess gas and improper digestion of the protein you are consuming.

This high intake of water will make it possible to drop water weight later in the program as you draw near to the competition. One more thing about water is that drinking large amounts of it actually stimulates your body to produce additional growth hormone.

All proteins are not the same and some are digested and absorbed much better than others. Egg protein and whey protein are absorbed best by your body. Fish, chicken and lean beef are some of the next best proteins. Others are sure to follow, but in most cases it is important to eat an equal portion of protein with each meal that is approximately the size of your fist.

Realize that some food allergies can go undetected and you will not absorb the protein from certain foods. It is important to eat as much real food as possible and to minimize the amount of supplementation whenever possible. The exception to this rule is usually associated with whey protein.

Most isolated whey proteins will digest in your duodenum within 30 minutes of ingestion. They are quick and easy and have a vast purpose in the athlete’s diet.

Never eat raw egg whites! Raw egg whites have a huge amount of a substance called “avidin,” which loves biotin. As a matter of fact, once the avidin-biotin forms a bond, the body can’t break it apart. So you will develop a partial or full Biotin Deficiency Syndrome.

Cooking your eggs (or egg whites) will quickly denature the protein avidin and will allow you to absorb 98 percent of the protein. In short, always cook your eggs.

Here is a list of some of the possible problems associated with any low protein ingestion:

Problems with sleep

Problems with concentrating

Constipation or diarrhea

Fatigue

Unexplainable injuries or multiple injuries with little trauma

Problems with skin, nail, and/or hair

Unexpected broken bones

Problems with emotional stability

Problems gaining strength

Consistent problems with muscle strains/ligament sprains

This is obviously just an example and several other factors may be involved in causing any of the aforementioned problems. Please see a physician if any of the aforementioned symptoms continue even with the increased protein added to the diet.

The biggest problem with getting enough protein is usually associated with the preparation of the food and its storage. There is no question that eating while at work can be an issue and timing is necessary since the MMA athlete needs to be eating every 2-to-3 hours.

Many athletes make the mistake of trying to cram in protein during only 3 meals, which results in poor absorption of all nutrients. Most athletes will have difficulty absorbing more than 30 g of protein had any meal. Having a small cooler and a creative cook at home is essential for any successful athlete.